Serum amyloid A as an indicator of health status in falcons.

Abstract

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is used as an indicator of health status in many species. To investigate the possible use of SAA as a health indicator in falcons, SAA levels were measured in 259 falcons of varying species and health status. A significant increase (P < .001) in SAA concentrations was observed in falcons affected by inflammatory disease compared with healthy birds and birds with noninflammatory disease. Serum amyloid A concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 6.8 mg/L (mean [SD], 3.4 +/- 1.4 mg/L) in the healthy group, from 0.8 to 8.5 mg/L (mean [SD], 4.0 +/- 3.1 mg/L) in the group with noninflammatory disease, and from 2.3 to 137.5 mg/L (mean [SD], 47.7 +/- 29.7 mg/L) in the group with inflammatory disease. In birds with chronic pododermatitis or fungal pneumonia/airsacculitis, SAA levels remained significantly increased throughout the study period. These results indicate that SAA concentrations can be used in avian medicine to assess the health status of falcons and as a prognostic indicator of certain pathologic disease processes.